Why We Give

November 27, 2017

We believe giving should be a year-round occasion. It’s a core belief that has been part of our company since Jess and Sarah founded it four years ago. Of course, the founders have organizations that are close to their hearts, but what’s special about the company is that each team member has a say in how PiperWai gives back. The result is a long list of organizations we are proud to support.

It has been proven that philanthropy is beneficial to business, which is just a bonus for us. Our brand is not only committed to making lives better one pit at a time, but we’re also committed to enhancing lives other ways. Philanthropy and do-gooding has been part of our mission since PiperWai’s first batch.

In 2017, we’re proud to have donated more than $33,000 to the following organizations:

This Pennsylvania-based organization teaches inmates how to train and socialize dogs so they are more likely to be adopted. The dogs live with the inmates for ‘round-the-clock training so they can eventually graduate the program and be adopted into a home. The organization benefits both humans and dogs. The inmates gain new skills and responsibilities that assist them for future employment opportunities and the dogs’ chances for adoption are increased.

It’s never too early to learn about entrepreneurship. What Young Entrepreneurs Academy does is provide students with knowledge and resources to reach their entrepreneurial dreams. The foundation began in 2004 and launched a Philadelphia chapter in 2013. The students are taught by trained instructors and get face time with successful entrepreneurs in their communities.

As the largest no-kill animal shelter in the nation, Best Friends Animal Society takes up a lot of space. The organization owns 3,700 acres of land and leases another 17,000 acres of state and federal land to carry out its mission: to bring shelter kill rates to zero. Since it opened in 1984, the number of cats and dogs killed in shelters has been reduced from 17 million a year to two million a year, thanks to Best Friends leading the way for no-kill shelters and policies.

Misfits need love too. This nonprofit takes in at-risk animals from all kinds of backgrounds to be rehabilitated and rehomed. If the animals cannot be adopted out, Misfit Manor provides a safe, comfortable refuge so the animals don’t have to face the possibility of being euthanized. Our contributions assisted in rescuing Jack within two hours of his scheduled euthanasia.

This organization was introduced to us by one of our customers who lives in the California region that got hit by wildfires the worst. Tzu Chi Santa Rosa had a hand in wildfire disaster relief this past summer and handed out the trial-size jars we donated to those affected. Our customer reached back out to say he helped distribute the donations and said he had the most armpit conversations in his life. (We will do that to you!)

The recent hurricanes hit us hard. Many customers affected by the hurricanes reached out to us, and we knew we needed to support those who support us. We chose SBP Hurricane Harvey Relief because it not only provides relief in the form of rebuilding, but also through education. The organizations provides resources for people navigating federal assistance, filing insurance claims and avoiding contractor fraud. It’s an all-hand-on-deck effort to make sure every person affected is taken care of.

It’s been about two months since Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria and disaster relief has been hard to come by for the country and its citizens. For weeks, Puerto Rico has been without power and the death toll has been severely underreported. We knew we couldn’t sit by and watch without doing anything, so we chose to donate to United for Puerto Rico. The organization provides disaster relief to those affected, as well as financial aid to small businesses affected by the hurricane.

The cancer community is one that is very close to our hearts. Cancer patients, survivors and caregivers have supported us from the very beginning, and giving back is our way to show thanks. Many patients are told by their doctors to use natural products on their bodies, and PiperWai has been the choice for many. Cancer Support Community provides a place for anyone affected by cancer to feel supported and empowered. All services are free to participants, giving every person access to this community.

Actress Shannon Elizabeth knew she wanted to do more to help animals. An animal lover her whole life, Shannon founded Animal Avengers as a cat and dog rescue in California. The organization got involved in anti-poaching efforts and from there, the mission evolved. Animal Avengers currently works to rescue and rehabilitate animals affected by poaching, as well as crack down on poachers in the South Africa region.

Senior animals need love too. Unfortunately, they are usually the last to be adopted, which puts them at risk of euthanasia in the event of overcrowding. City of Elderly Love is a rescue that focuses only on senior animals, using a network of foster homes to host adoptable animals. The organization also provides information and resources specific to senior animal care.

March of Dimes’ story is the best-case-scenario for an organization. Originally founded to research polio vaccines, the organization aided in eradicating the disease. So, what do you do when you’ve solved your problem? You move on to the next one. From there, March of Dimes evolved to focus on preventing infant birth defects and premature birth.

When we sponsored the Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival, we also supported this organization. Artists, arts groups and cultural sector stakeholders all get a boost from Fractured Atlas. The organization helps the arts community with important logistics work, which makes it easier to get the important work out and available to the public. For independent artists, this could mean the business acumen needed to promote and sell their work. Since its creation, Fractured Atlas has helped more than 1.5 million artists and organizations.

Entrepreneurship is something our cofounders are passionate about. Jess and Sarah love connecting with other entrepreneurs and mentoring the next generation of self-starters. Kidbacker Foundation helps young entrepreneurs build their business by putting them in touch with mentors and teaching them how to build business models and prototypes. The result is an early jump on entrepreneurship, which puts them ahead of their peers. Our particular contributions helped a young entrepreneur named Conner Hazelrigg get her portable solar charging device to people affected by the hurricane in Puerto Rico.

ACCT Philly is the largest intake facility for surrendered and stray animals in the city. The facility is a resource for many smaller rescues and shelters in the city, which pull animals from ACCT to be adopted. Not limited to cats and dogs, ACCT also takes in wildlife, birds, reptiles and more, handling up to 28,000 animals annually.

This rescue takes in the difficult-to-adopt animals with urgent and/or complicated medical needs. Through foster families, donations and Amazon wish-list fulfillment, STAR is able to save numerous animals from being put down due to ailments and complications they cannot help. The animals are treated and fostered by STAR staff, partners and volunteers and then adopted out to loving homes.

This organization is one that is very close to the PiperWai team. Five years ago, cofounder Jess was looking to adopt a dog. She stopped by Saved Me to look at the dogs available for adoption. Jess took one look at floppy muppet Velma (then named Molly) and fell in love. Years later, Cassi – the person who helped Jess adopt Velma at Saved Me – joined the PiperWai team as a customer service associate. We’re forever thankful to Saved Me for bringing both Velma and Cassi into our lives.

You

We’d like to give back to you. All orders this week receive a free trial-size jar, while supplies last.